Michigan Poll: Obama Leads Romney By Just 2 - Business Insider

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President Barack Obama has seen a once-steady lead in Michigan decline to just 2 points in a recent poll, and Michigan has been thrown into "toss-up" status in the election's final week.

The poll, from The Detroit News, finds Obama leading Republican rival Mitt Romney, 47.7 percent to 45 percent. That's the second poll in a week that has shown an increasingly tight race in the state, including a Foster McCollum White Baydoun poll that showed the race virtually tied.?And it comes as a pro-Romney super PAC, American Crossroads, includes Michigan in its $50 million, final-week ad buy.

Intriguingly, when comparing the Michigan poll to a new poll of Ohio released today, it shows that the race in Michigan is actually closer.

The key points in the new poll:

• What's pushing Romney to a virtual statistical tie in the state is his clear advantage on trust in handling the economy. He leads the president, 47-44, on the crucial issue, even in a state dominated by the auto industry.
• Compared with September, men have shifted 5 points more toward Romney.?
• What's keeping Obama afloat: His advantage in connecting with voters who think he "understands their values." Forty-eight percent identified with Obama on that question, compared with just 43 percent for Romney.
• Obama also has a significant, 8-point advantage on handling foreign affairs.

Here's a look, via Talking Points Memo's Polltracker, of just how close the race in Michigan has become:

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/michigan-poll-obama-romney-swing-state-ohio-detroit-news-2012-10

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